Promoting the roles of R&D service firms in the innovation system

研发服务公司为其他经济部门提供专门的研发服务。他们是其他企业外部知识的关键来源。英国研发服务行业的公司数量从2007年的2642家增加到2015年的4620家，增长了71.4%。该部门已成为英国主要的研发部门。2015年，它的支出为53亿英镑，占业务研发总支出的25%。我的博士研究探讨了研发服务公司的内部创新。通过对32家英国研发服务公司高管的深度访谈，本研究不仅勾勒出了创新的过程，而且揭示了创新实践的多样性。分析表明，这些企业是真正的创新者，通过内部研发和利用外部知识，产生新的知识、技术和知识产权。他们的创新过程既可以由技术机会发起，也可以由市场需求发起。由内部和外部资源决定，他们在非正式的勘探活动和正式的内部研发项目之间做出选择，以生产新的服务或产品。这使他们能够执行复杂的项目来支持客户的创新。但缺乏资金资源和政策支持环境似乎制约了研发服务企业的创新。这可能是因为政府的政策和激励措施绝大多数倾向于支持大学和公共研究机构的研究创新。因此，该奖学金的目的是将研发服务公司在英国经济中的作用牢牢地提上政策制定者、行业协会和机构、学者和企业的议程。我将花75%的时间与主要利益相关者交流研究成果，25%的时间在博士工作的基础上做进一步的研究。1. 交流研究成果-出版。本文将产生两篇期刊论文：1)研发服务型企业、知识密集型企业和技术型企业的比较分析；2)不同类型研发服务企业之间的动态变化。——加强现有网络，建设网络。我希望通过1)参加2019年R&D Management conference和2019年DRUID conference来加强现有网络并拓展新的网络；2)在奖学金结束时组织一个为期一天的研讨会。-与用户互动。我将通过调动我的导师和研究所同事的现有网络，特别是与商业、能源和工业战略部（BEIS）、Innovate UK/UKRI以及主要利益相关者和中介机构（如NESTA、AIRTO、EARTO、RADMA等）的创新政策制定者进行接触。我将为面向行业和面向政策的非学术写作寻找合适的平台，例如上述组织的出版物/博客，专业行业出版物，如Research Fortnight，以及更广泛但有针对性的博客（例如Policy@Manchester，卫报“政治科学”博客）和社交媒体（例如Twitter， Linkedin）。2.正如我的论文所证明的，海外市场在研发服务公司中占有很大的份额，从25%到90%不等。欧洲和美国是英国研发服务出口的两个主要市场。2013年，中国研发服务的出口比例为20.3%，但落后于德国的45.6%和法国的43.4%。英国脱欧带来的不确定性提出了如何最好地确保和扩大英国在国际市场上的研发服务部门的问题。通过使用现有数据并对之前的访谈参与者进行8-10次访谈，我的进一步研究旨在探索1)他们为海外客户工作的程度；2)他们与其他欧洲组织的合作程度；3)在其他海外市场扩张的程度。预计将为促进英国研发服务在全球市场的贸易提供建议。

R&D service firms offer specialised R&D services to other parts of the economy. They are a key source of external knowledge for other businesses. Firms operating in the UK R&D service sector rose from 2,642 in 2007 to 4,620 in 2015, an increase of 71.4%. This sector has become the major R&D performing sector in the UK. In 2015, it accounted for £5.3 billion of expenditure, representing 25% of total Business R&D Expenditure. My PhD research explored the in-house innovation of R&D service firms. Based on in-depth interviews with senior managers of 32 UK R&D service firms, this study not only mapped out the process of innovation, but also revealed the diversity of innovation practices. The analysis revealed that these firms are real innovators, producing novel knowledge, technologies and intellectual properties via undertaking in-house R&D and leveraging external knowledge. Their innovation process can be initiated by either technological opportunities or market requests. Determined by the internal and external resources, they choose between informal exploration activities and formal in-house R&D projects to produce new services or products. This enables them to carry out complex projects to support their clients innovation. But lack of financial resources and a supporting policy environment appears to constrain innovation in R&D service firms. This may be because government policies and incentives overwhelmingly tend to focus on supporting research in universities and public research organisations to innovate.The aim of the fellowship, therefore, is to put the roles of R&D service firms in the UK economy firmly on the agenda of policy makers, industrial associations and bodies, academics, and businesses. I will spend 75% of time in communicating research findings to key stakeholders, and 25% in doing further research based on my PhD work. 1. Communicating research findings-Publication. I will produce two journal articles from the thesis: 1) comparative analysis on R&D service firms, knowledge-intensive business services and technology-based firms; 2) Dynamic changes between different types of R&D service firms. -Strengthening existing networks and building networks. I expect to strengthen existing networks and expand new networks via 1) attending R&D Management conference 2019 and DRUID conference 2019; and 2) organising a one-day workshop towards the end of the fellowship. -Engaging with users. I will engage them by mobilising the existing networks of my mentor and institute colleagues, especially with innovation policy-makers in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), Innovate UK/UKRI, and key stakeholders and intermediaries such as NESTA, AIRTO, EARTO, RADMA etc. I will identify suitable platforms for industry-facing and policy-facing non-academic writing, such as the publications/blogs of the above-named organisations, specialist trade publications such as Research Fortnight, and wider but targeted use of blogs (e.g. Policy@Manchester, The Guardian 'Political Science' blog) and social media (e.g. Twitter, Linkedin). 2.Further researchAs demonstrated in my thesis, the overseas market accounts for a large share of R&D service firms, ranging from 25% to 90%. Europe and the US are the two major markets for UK R&D services exports. 20.3% of R&D services were exported in 2013, but this lags behind 45.6% for Germany and 43.4% for France. The uncertainty caused by Brexit raises the question of how best to secure and expand the UK R&D service sector in the international marketplace. By using existing data and undertaking 8-10 interviews with previous interview participants, my further research aims to explore 1) how far they work for overseas clients; 2) how far they collaborate with other European organisations; and 3) how far they look for expanding into other overseas markets. It is expected to provide advice on stimulating the trade of UK R&D services in global market.